263: Chapter 263 The hero's blood is not yet cold, a powerful enemy has arrived 72 light-years away!

Su Che stood up from the ground and brushed the dust off his knees.

Li Guang lay there, his military cap covering his chest, his face peaceful.

"Kairos, prepare the shuttle."

Su Che's voice was devoid of inflection, but he enunciated every word firmly.

"Send Comrade Li Guang back to Earth and deliver him personally to General Shen."

He paused and added.

"Tell him to grant him a state funeral befitting a national hero, provide the highest level of compensation for his family, and fulfill any subsequent requests without reservation."

Kairos folded her hands in front of her and bowed in acknowledgment.

"Understood, Chief."

The shuttle slid out from the side of Genesis, carrying Li Guang's remains as it entered the Earth-Moon orbit.

The people in the corridor did not disperse.

One hundred pilots stood at attention, some gritting their teeth, others clenching their fists.

Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan adjusted his hat and walked up to Su Che.

"Chief Engineer Su, the door has opened; Li Guang did not die in vain."

Su Che nodded and walked to the forty-third door.

A new line of text appeared on the door panel.

[Ship-borne Full-Coverage Energy Shield System.]

Su Che pushed the door open, and the group followed him inside.

In the center of the cabin floated a silver sphere two meters in diameter, with pale blue energy patterns flowing across its surface.

Materials Scientist Shi Changming held a data pad, with streams of data reflecting across his lenses.

"Chief Engineer Su, this thing... it's a native full-coverage energy shield. It can withstand asteroid impacts, conventional weapon attacks, cosmic radiation, and even the aftermath of a supernova explosion."

Su Che walked over and circled the sphere.

"This is incomparably stronger than the Second Generation Luan Bird's quantum stealth shield, but how does it compare to the mothership's basic protection?"

"The basic protection is like a paper window; this is a reinforced concrete wall."

Materials Scientist Shi Changming tapped the data pad twice. "It can automatically adjust the shield strength based on the threat level, providing full-ship coverage with seamless integration."

"You are fully responsible for this. Master it as soon as possible. This will be the first true defensive barrier for our mothership."

Materials Scientist Shi Changming put down the data pad. "Give me a few days, and I will finalize the operation manual."

Su Che left the cabin and headed toward the crew quarters.

The next morning.

The Interstellar War Command conference room.

Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan sat to the left of the head seat, while Li Chengwen sat to the right.

Zhang Zhiyue and Xiao Jingrong sat in the staff officer positions, while Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang and Captain Li Jun sat in the legion commander positions.

Su Che pushed the door open, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"Everyone is here. Report your progress."

Zhang Zhiyue spoke first, his voice as loud as ever.

"On the staff side, all tactical simulations and weapon system operations have been fully mastered. The interstellar combat system is taking shape; we are just waiting to unlock more combat units."

Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang followed with his report.

"On the legion side, all drills have met the standards, and all 118 ships of various types can now be skillfully piloted."

He paused. "But now, besides me, there are only 98 pilots left."

Su Che leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table twice.

"Not enough."

He raised his head and scanned the room.

"More combat units that require pilots will be unlocked later. 98 people won't be enough to handle it."

Su Che pulled out his communicator and dialed the dedicated line for General Shen Wangchuan.

It connected after two rings.

"General Shen, regarding Comrade Li Guang's funeral..."

"Everything is being handled according to your requirements and is currently in progress."

General Shen Wangchuan's voice was heavy. "I have personally supervised the compensation for the martyr and the arrangements for his family."

"Thanks. There is one more thing. I plan to bring up another 300 pilots. The existing 98 will lead the training, and with the ship-borne training center, they will learn quickly."

General Shen Wangchuan held the phone closer on the other end.

"You are going to hollow out the entire air force."

"There is no other way. The battles ahead will only get bigger, and we don't have enough people."

General Shen Wangchuan didn't waste any more words. "I'll arrange it immediately. Three days from now, the Second Generation Luan Bird will be sent up."

"Fine. Also, in two days, you need to come up to the mothership with The Elder."

"Have you made an appointment over there? To undergo life-extension treatment?"

"Yes, I'll make the appointment in a moment."

Su Che hung up the phone and looked at Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang.

"When the 300 people arrive in three days, you will organize the training. They will stay in District D."

"Understood."

The meeting concluded, and everyone dispersed.

Su Che called The Elder of the Dragon Kingdom, reported the work, and scheduled the anti-aging and life-extension treatment for two days later.

He didn't return to his office; he went straight to the hangar.

The shuttle took off, and twenty minutes later, it arrived at Su Family Village Airport.

Su Pingan was squatting in the yard fixing a hoe. Seeing Su Che step out of the vehicle, he dropped the hoe again.

"You brat, why are you back again?"

"Dad, come with me."

Su Che walked over and grabbed Su Pingan's arm.

"Where to?"

"To the ship, for the anti-aging and life-extension treatment. Didn't you say to wait until you were done with your work? I'm done."

Su Pingan was stunned for a moment and tried to pull away, but he couldn't.

"Now?"

"Right now. Grandfather is also waiting at the Longmai Base in the capital; we'll pick him up first."

Su Pingan opened his mouth, but in the end, he only managed to say.

"Then I need to change my clothes."

"No need to change, let's go."

The shuttle took off from Su Family Village and headed straight for the capital.

In the underground passage of the Longmai Base, Su Changshan sat in a wheelchair, covered with a blanket.

Seeing Su Che push the door open, the old man's hand moved.

"Grandfather, I'm taking you to the ship for the life-extension treatment. Once it's done, you'll be just like before."

Su Che crouched down and pushed the wheelchair out.

Su Changshan said nothing but patted the back of Su Che's hand.

The shuttle returned to Genesis, to the medical bay.

Liu Nanshan and his team were already waiting.

Su Changshan lay down in the stasis pod first.

Liu Nanshan checked the parameters on the data pad.

"The old Chief's condition is more complex than yours was, Chief Engineer Su. Long-term coma has led to low neuronal activity, so the repair time will be longer. It is expected to be completed tonight."

"It's okay, take your time."

Su Che stood by the pod, watching the hatch close.

That night.

The indicator light on the stasis pod turned from red to green.

The hatch slid open, and Su Changshan sat up.

Su Che took one look and almost didn't recognize him.

The old man's hair had turned completely black, most of the wrinkles on his face had smoothed out, and his skin had a healthy glow. He looked like a middle-aged man in his early fifties.

"Grandfather?"

Su Changshan stood up and moved his legs and feet; there was no sound from his knees.

"It's done."

Su Changshan's voice was much more resonant than before.

Su Pingan stood by, dumbfounded, rubbing his hands.

"Dad, you... you look forty years younger?"

Su Changshan smiled and patted Su Pingan's shoulder.

"It's your turn."

When Su Pingan lay down, his hands were trembling.

Liu Nanshan readjusted the parameters, and the hatch closed again.

The next morning.

Su Pingan jumped out of the pod and walked around the medical bay twice.

"My legs, they're agile again! My knees used to hurt whenever I squatted, but now there's nothing wrong!"

Su Che brought the two of them to the main control hall, where Lin Waner and Jiang Yingxue were already waiting.

"Grandfather, Dad, let me show you around."

Lin Waner took Su Changshan's arm, and Jiang Yingxue followed beside Su Pingan.

The four of them toured the mothership, from the molecular material synthesis system to the full-sensory gaming pod, and from the gravity exercise zone to the biological synthesis kitchen.

Su Pingan's mouth didn't close the entire way, while Su Changshan observed carefully and asked questions occasionally.

That evening, Su Che sent the two of them back to Earth.

Su Pingan stepped off the shuttle, his feet touching the paved road of Su Family Village, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's more solid to have my feet on the ground; that ship was dizzying."

Su Changshan also nodded.

"I've spent my whole life researching and was in a coma for over a decade. My knowledge can no longer compare to you young people."

He looked at Su Che. "It's time for me to lay down my burdens and enjoy my remaining years. You need to get married soon; I'm waiting to hold my great-grandson."

Su Che nodded vigorously. "Soon, soon."

The next morning.

Su Che piloted the shuttle and landed at Xishan Military Airport again.

The Elder and General Shen Wangchuan were already waiting on the tarmac, followed by only one guard.

Su Che walked up to them.

"The Elder, General Shen, please board."

The Elder waved his hand.

"Don't bother with those formalities. It's like returning to my own home; why make such a fuss?"

He boarded the shuttle, with General Shen Wangchuan following behind.

Both were boarding the mothership for the first time, but neither showed any excessive reaction.

Before The Elder lay down in the medical bay, he only said one thing.

"Little Su, thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work."

On the third morning, after the two had finished their life-extension treatment, Su Che sent them back to Earth.

The shuttle landed at Xishan Airport. When The Elder stepped off, his steps were much lighter than yesterday.

In the afternoon.

The Second Generation Luan Bird landed in the Genesis hangar.

Three hundred pilots walked down the gangway in neat lines.

Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang was already waiting in the hangar.

"Everyone, follow me. You'll be staying in District D. Training starts tomorrow."

Su Che stood by the edge of the hangar, watching the group walk away, pulled out his communicator, and dialed Lieutenant General Peng Zhenbang.

"Lieutenant General Peng, The Elder and General Shen have both come up to the mothership for anti-aging and life-extension treatment. Do you want to arrange for your side to come up and do it too?"

On the other end of the line, Lieutenant General Peng Zhenbang laughed.

"No need. Once the Dry Dock project team is finished, we can start the R&D on this. We'll do it with our own, wouldn't that be more exciting?"

Su Che thought about it, and that was true.

With the help of the Kairos experts, this technology would be mastered sooner or later; it wouldn't take too long.

"Alright, then you go ahead."

Su Che hung up the phone and returned to his office to get a good night's sleep.

Another day passed.

Su Che was still washing up when his communicator rang.

It was Chen Jingzhou's channel.

"Chief Engineer Su! There is a situation on the radar!"

Su Che threw his towel onto the sink and pressed answer.

"Speak."

"The ship-borne ultra-long-range global active radar detection system has captured an unknown fleet signal 72 light-years away!"

Su Che gripped the communicator a little tighter.

"Quantity?"

"82 ships. The largest one, based on the radar signal analysis, is about eight kilometers long."

Su Che didn't ask any more questions; he pushed the door open and rushed out of the office.

"Kairos!"

Kairos walked over quickly from the other end of the corridor.

"Go to the radar room."

The two of them jogged all the way and rushed into the radar room.

Chen Jingzhou stood in front of the control console, where a dense cluster of light points on the holographic screen was slowly moving.

Su Che walked to the screen and stared at the group of light points.

"Kairos, it wouldn't be your Kairos fleet, would it?"

He frowned.

"That shouldn't be. If your fleet were coming, the Star Speaker would definitely have given me a heads-up first."

Kairos walked to the screen, her blue eyes scanning the data streams rapidly.

"Currently, it is highly likely not the Kairos fleet."

"But it is speculated that it could be a Level 3 Civilization. A Level 2 Civilization's warship is at most five or six kilometers long. If this one is also a warship, eight kilometers already meets the standard of a Level 3 Civilization."

Su Che rested his hands on the edge of the control console.

"A Level 3 Civilization's warp technology is already very mature. If they are really coming toward the Solar System, could they arrive today?"

Kairos shook her head.

"A large-scale fleet cannot perform anchorless warp jumps. They need pioneer ships to set up temporary beacons along the way and jump in segments; it's impossible to arrive in one step."

She reached out and pointed to a light point in the top right corner of the screen.

"Look, there is one here. It has detected warp fluctuations and is initiating a warp jump; this is likely the pioneer ship."

Su Che stared at that light point, saying nothing.

Kairos continued.

"Based on the current captured warp fluctuations and the modeling of the overall maneuver rhythm, the estimated remaining arrival time is seven days."

Su Che pulled his hands off the control console and turned to look at Kairos.

"Seven days."

He repeated it, then picked up the communicator and dialed Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan's channel.

"Commander-in-Chief Wang, convene the highest-level command meeting immediately."

"War may be coming."